By Niall Hickman
At Emirates Durham ICG: Day One of LV County Championship Division One: Durham 213 all out(Pringle 99), Hampshire 77-3(Onions 3-32)
Points: Durham 2 Hampshire 3.
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Ryan Pringle was the toast of the Durham dressing room as his gutsy 99 helped Paul Collingwood’s side reach 213 all out on the first day of their LV County Championship clash against Hampshire.
Pringle came to the wicket at 65-5 with Durham in deep trouble and thrilled the crowd to within a run of his first county championship century before falling to a legside glance off West Indies paceman Fidel Edwards.
Hampshire reached 77-3 in reply at the close, 136 runs behind, with Graham Onions having taken all three wickets.
It means the contest is delicately balanced as early wickets for Durham on day two could leave them with a commanding advantage, while bottom of the table Hampshire will be hoping to get past the 200-mark and give themselves a first innings lead.
Durham won the toss and skipper Collingwood elected to bat under blue skies, but with a cool northerly breeze drifting across the Emirates Durham ICG.
Durham left out seamer Jamie Harrison from their starting XI while Hampshire included fast bowler Ryan Stevenson, who has signed for the county until the end of the season from Devon following a successful trial.
In seamer-friendly conditions the visitors soon made headway as Jack Burnham, in only his second first class game, managed to nibble at a rising ball from Ryan McLaren which keeper Adam Wheater easily snaffled.
Burnham’s fellow opener Mark Stoneman quickly followed him up the pavilion steps as Fidel Edwards found a gap through his defence, making it 17-2.
It was soon 32-3 as Collingwood also edged McLaren straight to Wheater, with the South African paceman proving a real handful.
Michael Richardson joined Scott Borthwick and the pair moved the score on sedately to 59 before the Durham keeper pushed at a full ball from McLaren which James Vince took at third slip.
In the next over in-form Borthwick fell for 9, edging Gareth Berg to the keeper as Durham slumped to 65-5.
With the last ball before lunch Pringle got off the mark by driving Berg through the covers for four, but the session had gone very much in favour of the visitors.
After the break Pringle and Muchall gritted their teeth, although the former received a hefty slice of luck when he was dropped on 27 by former Durham player Will Smith in the gully. The home pair added 69 for the sixth wicket before Muchall was adjudged LBW to one which cut back off Berg. Weighell, who made his Durham debut a fortnight ago in the loss to Middlesex, lasted only three balls before he was comprehensively bowled by Berg, making it 134-7.
Pringle continued to pierce the gaps with regularity and yet he lost another partner at 168 as John Hastings was snapped up by Liam Dawson at second slip.
Chris Rushworth hit a couple of lusty blows, then Pringle moved towards his first county championship ton with three majestic fours in a row off McLaren, the pick of them a lofted drive back over the bowler’s head which land a yard short of the boundary.
Pringle reached 99 with a mis-cued drive, but in the next over he reached for a short leg side delivery from Edwards and glanced to the keeper. Umpire Jeremy Lloyds seemed to take his time over the decision, but eventually came down on the side of the bowler and Pringle trudged back to the pavilion to a standing ovation following a tremendous knock, scored off only 125 balls.
McLaren quickly dislodged Rushworth, caught by Smith off McLaren in the slips, as Durham reached 213 all out.
In reply, Jimmy Adams’ first ball streaked through the slips off Onions, but with the next delivery the Hampshire opener looked back to find his off stump cartwheeling in the air.
With Onions’ fifth ball he had James Vince dropped by Muchall at third slip – a let off for the visiting skipper, but Onions eventually got his man as Pringle took a neat catch, making it 36-2.
Michael Carberry had lived precariously in making 16 only to fall to an outstanding full stretch catch by Muchall at third slip, handing Onions his third wicket.
Liam Dawson and Smith successfully negotiated the remaining overs after a brief interruption for bad light, taking Hampshire to 77-3 when stumps were drawn.